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Lovely Complex ep 21

After a 2-week hiatus of this series in Japan, the subbed episode 21 has finally been released! ^_^

Episode 21: “Premonition of Separation?! Risa and Otani’s Different Paths”

Summary: Nobu is telling off Koizumi for not knowing what Otani’s post-graduation plans are. Koizumi says they don’t talk about stuff like that and they usually talk about Umibozu and his concerts of songs. Nobu says she thought it would be like that but then asks Koizumi if she doesn’t think that her boyfriend’s post-graduation plans are a source of concern when making her own. Koizumi then asks Nobu and Chiharu if they talk about stuff like that with Nakao and Suzuki. Nobu answers that she does and that Nakao is going into the family business running a dessert shop so she’s planning to be a nutritionist to help him out, while Chiharu decided to go to the same university as Suzuki for the time being. This worries Koizumi.

After school, Otani, Koizumi, Nobu and Nakao are eating at a restaurant. Koizumi is surprised to learn that Otani is planning to attend university after high school. Otani says there’s no need to act too surprised about it. Koizumi goes on telling him that there’s no way he will get in. She goes on telling Otani that it’d be a waste of time and money if he doesn’t get in on his first try. This annoys Otani, telling her that she could at least be supportive and wish him luck and they start bickering again. Nobu and Nakao then butt-in in the conversation saying that if they were Koizumi, they’d stop him too. Otani yells at them asking what the heck they take him for. Nobu and Nakao both say in unision “An idiot.” Otani smacks Koizumi’s head saying that it was because she was the most annoying. Otani tells them they’re a bit rude and that he can do anything when he puts his mind into it. The 3 of them say he probably can’t do it even if he does put his mind to it. This pisses Otani off and yells at them that he is going to try and he’s definitely going to get in. He then walks away in a huff. Koizumi goes after him and asks why he wants to go to college all of a sudden. Otani replies that he’s always wanted to and was about to say more when suddenly 2 kids appear and invites Otani to play basketball with them. Otani says he can’t since he has to study and tells them to go their way. It turns out that those 2 were kids from his neighborhood and he plays basketball with them from time to time. He then tells Koizumi that he wants to play basketball even after university as a school basketball coach or something like that. He wants to go to a university and get a certification and maybe teach elementary kids. Koizumi then laughs and mocks him calling him Otani-sensei. Otani says this is why he didn’t want to tell her about it. Apparently, the 2 kids were just hiding behind a vending machine and start to tease Otani about having a tall girlfriend. Otani then ends up playing a bit of basketball with the kids with Koizumi in tow. Koizumi cheerfully watches Otani having fun playing with the kids. She thinks to herself that if Otani becomes an elementary school teacher, it’ll be hard to tell who’s the kid and who’s the teacher, but it’s really nice to see Otani smile like that. She thinks that half of her thinks it’s impossible but she’ll still support him anyway. But then something is about to happen that will have a deeper impact to them than Otani’s college plans.

The next day at school, Otani and Koziumi are shocked to find out from their teacher that Nobu is going to attend an undergraduate university all the way in Hokkaido. They ask Nobu about it and Nobu says that her grandma is getting weak so she is going to live in the country and Nobu is going with her to take care of her. Otani then goes over to Nakao and asks if he’s okay with a long distance relationship. Nobu and Nakao both say it will be fine and they will call each other everyday. Nobu then invites Koizumi to go shopping with her after school. It turns out that the university at Hokkaido offers entry by referral so all Nobu has to do is show them her high school diploma and do an interview. While shopping, Nobu apologizes to Koizumi for not telling her about her plans to go to Hokkaido. Nobu says she’s shopping now since she doesn’t think it’ll be practical to just come back here to shop. She says that her grandma gave her a bit of spending money when Nobu said she’ll go to Hokkaido with her. Koizumi remembers that over the years, Nobu’s grandma has given her quite a lot of money. Nobu confirms this and says that in a sense she is also going with her grandma to repay her kindness and that she loves her grandma after all. Koizumi asks what about Nakao. Nobu says she loves him too. Koizumi asks Nobu if she’s really okay with this. Nobu says she is and that Nakao is okay with it too and that he’s coming over to have dinner with her family tonight.

That night, Nakao is over at Nobu’s house for dinner. Nobu’s grandma asks Nakao if it’s really okay with him that Nobu is going to Hokkaido with her. Nakao replies that he loves grandma too and that he’ll be really worried if she went all by herself. Grandma is very touched by this and says that she’s really happy to have such a wonderful granddaughter and that Nobu has a wonderful boyfriend. Nakao smiles at her and gives her a handkerchief to wipe her tears. Nakao then notices that Nobu heard this and they smile at each other. Koizumi’s voice over then says that at that point, neither them or Nobu knew exactly how Nakao felt deep down and as the day for Nobu’s interview in Hokkaido drew near, Nakao was falling part inside.

At school, Otani tells Koizumi that Nakao has been acting weird lately and seems to not be himself, like he suddenly talks to a postbox, accidentally walks in a girl’s bathroom, spills his drinks. Koizumi thinks it’s weird too and it probably has to do with Nobu leaving for Hokkaido soon. Just then, Suzuki enters the classroom and tells them that Nakao fell down the stairs. Otani goes over to the infirmary while Koizumi went to tell Nobu. At the infirmary, Nakao apologizes to Otani and says good thing he walked away with just a scratch. Otani tells him to get it together. Nakao is taken aback by this and wonders what Otani means. Otani tells him that if he’s doing okay then he wouldn’t have fallen down the stairs in the first place. Nakao suddenly puts on a sad face. Otani guesses that Nakao doesn’t really want Nobu to go to Hokkaido. Nakao agrees but says it’ll make Nobu feel bad so he doesn’t say anything. Apparently, Nobu was at the door with Koizumi and heard this then runs off. Nakao and Otani run after them. Nobu hugs Koizumi and cries, asking her what she should do. Nobu says she’s though about it long and hard but she’s still confused. Koizumi then starts to cry too, apologizing to Nobu since Nobu has always had something to say to her but now Koizumi doesn’t have any advice for Nobu. Nobu says she wasn’t really expecting any advice from Koizumi. Koizumi says that doesn’t help. Nobu then asks in between sobs why Koizumi chased after her anyway. Koizumi says she intended to say something. Nobu then hugs her again saying she doesn’t have any idea what Koizumi is on about while Koizumi says she doesn’t know either, as they both cry and hug each other. Otani and Nakao are apparently down the stairs and heard them. Otani says they should leave them alone. Nakao agrees then tells Otani that he has decided on how to settle this.

The next day, Nakao shows up in class wearing sunglasses and is acting like he doesn’t care. Nobu says they should get going. Nakao says she can go home by herself if she wants to and he’d go home with some other girl. Nobu, Otani and Koizumi asks Nakao what’s up with him. Nakao then tells Nobu that he hasn’t told her this before but he actually has 3 other women. He then calls out these “3 women” who turns out to be Maity-sensei, Suzuki, and Haruka pretending to be girls with makeup and wigs on. Nobu asks Nakao what’s the matter. Nakao tells Nobu that she should just forget a terrible guy like him and that he’ll just live in a harem with these “3 women” of his and that Nobu will just be a bother to him. Nobu says she understands then goes home on her own. Otani angrily asks Nakao what the heck that was all about. Nakao sadly says that he wants Nobu to hate him because if she hates him and forgets about him, then she can go to Hokkaido without any worries. Otani asks Nakao why he didn’t tell him about this. Nakao says it’s because Otani would just be angry. Otani says he would then tells him that he should just tell Nobu if he doesn’t want her to leave. Nakao starts to cry.

At Nobu’s room, she is staring at an earring that was Nakao’s first present for her. She remembers when Nakao gave it to her, how she was thankful for it but apologizes that she couldn’t wear it since her ears aren’t pierced and her grandma would tell her off if she pierced it. Koizumi then calls Nobu on her cellphone and asks to meet with her. Nobu tells Koizumi that she decided she is really going to Hokkaido after all, saying that the little display earlier by Nakao was might have been silly but that it really got to her. After Nakao having done that for her benefit, she says that she really doesn’t have much choice but to go. Koizumi then tells Nobu that it’s thanks to Nobu that she was able to get together with Otani and that she was able to keep trying her best because Nobu was around. She adds that if Nobu has thought it over and decided then it can’t be wrong and everything will definitely work out, and just to believe in herself. Koizumi apologizes that she can’t say anything more than that. Nobu thanks Koizumi and says that what she told her was more than enough.

The next day, the gang is at the airport to see off Nobu for her interview at Hokkaido. Otani wonders where Nakao is. Nobu says it’s alright since she’s just flying off for the interview and will be back afterwards. As if on cue, Nakao arrives and wishes Nobu to have a safe trip and to do her best. Nobu smiles then shows Nakao the earrings, asking if he remembers those. Nakao says it was the first present he ever gave her. Nobu then shows him her newly pierced ears and says she asked Koizumi to come with her and have it done. This surprises Nakao and asks Nobu if it wouldn’t make her grandma mad. Nobu says it will be alright but she won’t be able to wear the earrings yet until the hole-wounds have healed. She tells Nakao that once she gets to Hokkaido, she’ll wear the earrings everyday and that way she won’t forget Nakao. A blushing Nakao then gives Nobu a warm hug and tells her that she loves her more than anything in this world while a blushing Nobu says she loves him too. Koizumi then thinks to herself that Nobu got her happy ending but wonders what’s going to happen to her and Otani.

A short boy with red-streaked black hair is running down the street when a fortune teller on the sidewalk stops him and tells him he’s going to have some woman trouble soon. One is a woman much older than him and the other is a woman over 170 cm tall who’s only slightly older than him. The boy cheerfully says the fortune teller is right about the older woman but he doesn’t know any girl that tall then says goodbye as he has to go to work. Koizumi’s voice over then says that this short boy would end up having an even deeper impact on her and Otani than Nobu, although they didn’t know it at that time.

~ end of episode

My Impression: After the 2-week hiatus in Japan and waiting patiently for the subbed ep, I finally got to see it. ^_^ I think this episode is a nice change with the story shifting for a bit to Nobu and Nakao. Kyaaaa! Those two are so good together. It was quite a touching episode. Like what Nobu’s grandmother said, Nobu is such a wonderful girl and Nakao is Nakao such a great guy. That part with Maity-sensei, Haruka and Suzuki pretending to be Nakao’s “women” was funny. It wasn’t as hilarious as the previous episodes but it was a really sweet episode.

Ah, that final part with that short boy with red-streaked black hair looks like something is about to happen that will shake up Otani and Koizumi’s relationship, much more than the trouble that Mimi caused in the last episode. Judging from the preview for the next episode, Koizumi’s in for big trouble and Otani is definitely going to be mad at her.

Next episode: Apparently, this short boy would be a co-worker of Koizumi at work and would be causing some major problems on Koizumi and Otani’s relationship! Big trouble appears to be on the way!

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This is mainly an anime blog with series overviews, first impressions, reviews, some episode summaries, with a hint of personal thoughts and a few random babbles on manga, music, etc. that I've come across.